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Detroit Lakes girls, boys hold first-day leads at state golf meets

Collin Ginnaty watches his approach on hole No. 10 as he and three other Laker seniors led a charge on the back nine to grab sole possession of first place at the Class AA state meet in Jordan Tuesday, June 12. Robert Williams / Forum News Service1 / 4

Mr. Minnesota Golf finalist Wyatt Blomseth leads the Lakers after shooting a round of two-over. Blomseth has been the steady man at the top of the lineup card all year for hall of fame coach Bob Gorden. Robert Williams / Forum News Service2 / 4

Laker sophomore Anna Cihak shot a round of even par to place third after the first day of the Minnesota Class AA state golf tournament Tuesday, June 12 in Jordan, Minnesota. Robert Williams / Forum News Service3 / 4

DL sophomore Shelby Busker sits in fourth place at two-over heading into day two of the Class AA state gofl tournament. Detroit Lakes holds a six-stroke lead in the team standings. Robert Williams / Forum News Service4 / 4

JORDAN, Minn.—Detroit Lakes sophomore Anna Cihak shot a career-best round of even par and fellow sophomore Shelby Busker shot two-over to stake the Lakers to a six-stroke lead over Marshall after day one at the Minnesota Class 2A state golf tournament at Ridges at Sand Creek.

Both Cihak and Busker started out with one-under rounds on the front nine. Cihak birdied holes No. 1 and No. 3 to get off to a two-under start.

"Of course, I picked a pretty good place to do it," Cihak said. "I got the momentum going and made one bogey at the end to shoot 35."

Busker was three-over on the back nine to finish with a two-over 74 after her opening nine holes at one under par.

"It was really fun to have a good start," said Busker.

The Lakers recorded a team score of 321 with senior Maddie Herzog shooting an 80 and eighth-grader McKenna Mallow coming in with a 95.

"Shelby played really good today," Cihak said. "Maddie said she can do better and McKenna can shoot better too and we all know they will."

Players battled a steady mist for most of the round with some sand traps waterlogged and the greens and fairways constantly damp.

"On the fairways it was different with it being really wet, but it wasn't too bad," said Busker. "I just had a few little mistakes on the back but I hit the ball well. I'm happy with it."

Marshall is in second place with a score of 327. Red Wing is in third place led by Sophia Yoemans, who shot a course record score of 63 (-9) and Leah Herzog with a 66 (-6). The Wingers third and fourth scoring golfers both shot 100.

"We were thinking Marshall was our big competition and we'll just have to see how everything lines up and play our own game tomorrow and try not to worry about other people's scores," said Busker.

Behind the Red Wing duo atop the leaderboard, Cihak sits in third place, Busker fourth and Herzog is tied for seventh place. Mallow is tied for 58th.

"I think we all need to shoot what we're capable of," said Cihak. "We are confident. We just need to play our best and play consistent. If we have one bad shot you've got to let it go. It is what it is."

Laker boys use depth to take lead

Consistency and depth have been the keys to success for the Detroit Lakes boys golf team in 2018 and the Lakers continued to get contributions from all over the lineup on day one of the Minnesota Class 2A state tournament. The Lakers broke away from Holy Family Catholic on the back nine to lead by three strokes heading into Wednesday's championship round.

"We have a lot of depth on our team with six guys who can bring in a score any day, so it's a good feeling to have five other guys that can back you at any time," senior Collin Ginnaty said.

Ginnaty started the Lakers off as the No. 6 player on the lineup card but finished the day tied with fellow senior Ben Unruh shooting matching scores of 78.

"It's great to come into such an important tournament for us and bring in one of my better scores of the year," said Ginnaty.

Team leader Wyatt Blomseth continued to pace the squad with a low round of two-over 74. Ryan Paskey was one stroke back with a 75. The Lakers control their own destiny with three shots in hand on the quest for the program's fourth state championship.

"That's the idea we have in the back of our minds," Ginnaty said. "We can't play like we're going to take it. We have to play like we can play. Having that in our mind and playing our game can get us there."

The last boys team title came in back-to-back years in 2011-12 and a win would be icing on the cake for four departing seniors and hall of fame coach Bob Gorden, who was inducted into the coaches association hall Monday night at the pre-tournament banquet.

Red Wing is in third place at 317, nine shots behind Holy Family (308). East Grand Forks' Nate Deziel holds a two-stroke lead on the individual leaderboard after shooting a three-under 69. Blomseth is tied for seventh overall with seven other golfers. Paskey is in 14th with five other shooters. Unruh and Ginnaty are in a jam for 31st position.

Park Christian's Doeden tied for first in 1A

Moorhead Park Christian junior Emily Doeden is tied for first after Day 1 of the Class 1A golf meet. Doeden shot a 76 at Pebble Creek Golf Club in Becker, Minn. She made up two strokes on Lac qui Parle Valley's Rachel Halvorson on the back nine to finish the day tied with her for the lead.

This is Doeden's fourth trip to the state meet. She finished tied for second last season.

Park Christian as a team is in fourth with a 366, 19 strokes behind first-place BOLD.